The compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Premier Rio will soon be having a new sibling in its variant line-up, as the company is planning to launch an all new diesel version of this SUV in the country in the coming months. The Premier Rio variant will come powered by a 1.3-litre diesel MultiJet engine which is capable of generating the peak power of 87 bhp.
The company has already begun with the trial of the new Premier Rio 1.3-litre diesel in the Indian market, and has said that the SUV will be joining the Rio line-up very soon. The new Rio diesel will be compatible with the new BS-IV emission norms, which will enable the company to sell it in the 17 major cities where BS-IV emission norms are applicable.
It is to be mentioned here that the existing diesel variant of Rio, which come powered by a TUD5 engine, is only BS-III compatible. While the existing TUD5 diesel engine is manufactured at the Premier’s Pune plant under license of Peugeot, the new 1.3L MultiJet engine will be directly sourced from Fiat.
The launch of the new Premier Rio 1.3-litre will enable the company to compete more promptly in the Indian market where a number of new competitors are all set to mark their entry in the Indian market including the likes of Mahindra Xylo Mini.
